Aromatherapy For BabiesWritten by Liz Santher
Before reading this article keep in mind that most doctors don't recommend use of aromatherapy on babies that re less than three months old. This is because nasal and skin tissues of an infant are very sensitive and easily irritated by anything but blandest of substances. Once your baby is past that age consult with your doctor to make sure that use of essential oils is right for your child.Traditionally essential oils are used to purify air in a nursery and calm and relax infant. The safest and gentlest way to introduce essential oils into nursery is to put oils in a diffuser so molecules of oil are dispersed through air. You can also dilute about ten drops of oil in a bottle of distilled water and mist that around nursery and baby's bedding. Remember always that if your baby starts sneezing, tearing or fretting that it may not be time to introduce aromatherapy into your baby's life. For best results try to choose high quality oils. The inexpensive stuff is cut with crude substances and alcohols and can be overwhelming to delicate system of a baby. Try to choose oils that are organically grown as they are usually of highest quality. Avoid purchasing oils in plastic or clear bottles as light and other factors can cause oil to degrade and lose efficacy. The highest quality aromatherapy oils are usually sold in dark brown bottles that protect them from disintegrating light rays.
| | My Son's DeploymentWritten by Kim Olver
My Son’s Deployment One of most difficult struggles in life for a parent is struggle that occurs when parent is attempting to keep their child safe and child is attempting to explore world and find their place in it, often times not in safest manner. A discussion of Inside Out cannot occur without me sharing some of my own personal struggles with concept. Today is one of those days. I just learned that my nineteen-year-old son received his deployment orders. He just graduated from National Guard basic training last week and in less than two months, his Guard unit is being deployed for six months of training and then on to Iraq for a year. Anyway, my son made a decision fairly early on that he wanted to join military. This was a surprise to me because I believed that, generally, young men and women enter military who have some type of role model in military. Since there was no one in my or my husband’s family who was in military, I believed my children would not have inclination for military service. My son began talking about being a sniper for Marines at around age of sixteen. Imagine my terror, thinking of him in dangerous situations when I had spent all his life attempting to keep him safe---mostly safe from himself as he has quite a risk-taking personality. Being a good Inside Out mother, I knew better than to try to talk him out of what he truly wanted, but secretly I’d hoped that by time he was old enough to join military, he would “come to his senses.” Now I’d like to say here that I totally support our troops. I know there are brave men and women putting their lives on line for our safety and ideal of freedom around world, but as most mothers can relate, that’s OK for other children, just not mine! I’m well aware of selfishness of that position, but it is what it is. Over time, my son and I had some discussions about his future plans. He was raised in rural Pennsylvania and had been hunting with his father from time he was three. He has a natural ability for marksmanship. He is incredibly courageous and loves a good physical challenge. With all of these attributes, I know he sounds like a poster boy for military service. Still, as his mother, I’d hoped he would change his mind. I believe he made a concession to me when, just prior to his eighteenth birthday, he decided to join National Guard, as opposed to Marines. Part of his reasoning was that he wanted money for college but another part, in my opinion, was that he was just looking to prove himself as a man. I breathed a small sigh of relief thinking that he would be safer in Guard. He would do his weekend a month and two weeks in summer and have to respond to any situations in US requiring armed service intervention. Was I ever wrong---along came war in Iraq. I am not making any statements here about efficacy of this war. I do not know if we are there because of weapons of mass destruction, terrorism or oil fields. I only know that our county’s young service men and women are being forever changed by their experiences there and I am afraid for my child.
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